Porscha Hill Natural Dye Studio

We are a natural dye studio that creates natural goods using a combination of materials and botanical dyes for everyday usage. We specialize in producing items in small quantities and limited runs.

We also offer natural dyeing services to other companies who want to manufacture more environmentally friendly products by including fabrics with plant dyes into their line of offerings.

When Porscha is not enhancing hues for Preloved by PH or Bad Habits London as well as other organizations. She enjoys educating others about the glories of plant dyes through seminars, publications, and classes delivering natural dye workshops for individual, small-group, and corporate clients in the US and Europe.

Our values

We take a thoughtful approach to every part of our business and adhere to the philosophy of treading lightly on the world. We understand the importance of giving your purchases some thought and think that high-quality products should last the test of time. All of our items are created using only the best, 100% natural materials from regional or traceable sources. In all aspects of our processes and products, we aim for integrity and low or no environmental impact. All of our colors are produced using only 100% pure essential dyes, eliminating the hazardous waste, toxins, and chemicals produced by contemporary synthetic dyeing. 

 

Meet the process

Natural dyes were the only source of color for the garments, fibers, and textiles of our ancestors until the discovery of synthetic dyes in the middle of the 19th century. Natural dyes are colors derived from plants, animals, or minerals. They are sometimes known as plant or vegetable dyes. We organically dye everything by hand in our studio using conventional dyeing techniques.

Scouring

I clean the fibers to remove any naturally occurring oils, waxes, or residue before dying them. Scouring is the term for this type of cleaning. When done correctly, it's the initial stage in our procedure and ensures that our colors are uniform and constant.

Mordanting

The fiber must be "mordanted" after it has been "scoured." In order to ensure that the dye will hold up to multiple washings and exposure to light, the fiber must soak in a mordanting solution. Mordants can be obtained from natural plant sources or from metallic salts.

Dyeing

The dye baths should be prepared using leaves, roots, nuts, or barks after the fiber has been scoured and mordanted. To extract the color, the components are cooked in big heated pots of water. Depending on the desired color, the fibers are next submerged in the dye for a variety of times.

Cleaning & Maintenance

The fibers are removed from the pots, washed in eco-friendly detergent, checked for consistency, and dried when we are satisfied with the colors. Then, eco-friendly or biodegradable materials are used for packaging and labeling all of our products.